This mindfulness activity encourages your child to experience their food by touch, smell, and taste.
Learning Area(s): Language and Communication; Sensory and Art
MATERIALS
- an easy-to-eat snack (e.g., finger foods, no spoons or forks needed)
- an eye mask, scarf, or other piece of cloth that can be used as a blindfold (optional)
LET'S PLAY
Keep the snack(s) hidden from your child before beginning the activity. Introduce the activity to your child by saying, “Today we will eat our snack without looking at it. When we are eating it, we can talk about how it feels in our hands and mouth and how it smells and tastes.”
Place a blindfold over your child’s eyes, making sure it is not too tight and it is not covering their nose. Place the snack in front of them, guiding their hands to it if needed.
“What does the snack feel like in your hand?” Encourage your child to use different words that describe textures and shapes (bumpy, rough, soft, smooth, round, cold, etc.).
Examples of other questions you can ask your child:
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- “What does your snack smell like?”
- “What does your snack feel like in your mouth?”
- “What does it taste like?”
- “Can you guess what your snack is?”
TIPS
- Before you begin this activity, make sure your child is okay with having a blindfold over their eyes as some children might find having something over their eyes uncomfortable or scary. An alternative is for your child to close their eyes during the tasting.
- The first time you try this activity, try a familiar snack. Your child might notice new things about a snack they already like.
- If your child is already familiar with this activity, you can use it as an opportunity to try new healthy snacks. For ideas, check out the Fruit and Veggie Toolkit for Kids from the American Heart Association.
- For additional mindfulness activities, go to: